On the surface, trading Dipo to Miami already has a strike against it because we want Miami to not improve since there's a pretty good chance we wind up having to swap our pick for theirs. With that hurdle with a Miami trade I would have thought that getting scraps like this would be worse than seeing what you could get for Dipo in a S&T after the season because even if you get nothing in an S&T at the very least you didn't help Miami get better and give us a potential worse draft position this year. But, if Miami was ready to trade for Lowry and only us agreeing to give them Dipo for scraps stopped that trade, then Miami presumably would have improved by getting Lowry. Maybe even moreso than they did by getting Dipo from us. So the pick we swap with Miami would have gotten worse regardless. On top of that, Toronto is dropping down the standings and would presumably get worse if they traded Lowry. So by swooping in and preventing a Lowry to Miami trade, we also presumably improved our odds of landing in the top 4 since we're more likely to be worse than Toronto now vs. if they had traded Lowry.
LeVert’s cancer diagnosis was discovered when all the players involved in the Harden trade took the physicals necessary to process the deal. If the Rockets hadn’t already agreed to trade him to Indiana first, the Rockets’ medical team would have discovered the same cancerous mass, and then the Rockets would have had to rework the Harden deal, or keep LeVert and hope he made a full recovery. How many GM’s that want to be known for trading for a player that needs immediate emergency surgery to remove a cancerous tumor on his kidney and is still guaranteed $52.5 million through the 2022-23 season as the centerpiece of a superstar trade? Indiana took the risk and it looks like it will pay off for them, but many GM’s would have balked as soon as they got the results from LeVert’s physical.
Then just demand a trade, Rockets will literally send you exactly where you want to go no questions asked.
He’s a stoner He’s a s joker He’s a mid knight tokerrrrr Sure does want to hurt someoneeeee (us) (ugly singing voice)
Ahhh ok thank you. So much hinges on getting that pick. You think there is angst today wait until the thunder are pickin in the 5/6th spot for us lol
"Rockets got what they could" That's true because they put themselves in a corner when they traded for Vic, knowing full well of his intentions to be a Miami Heat. That was public knowledge coming into the season and did not deter Stone from pulling the trade to acquire him for a player that most likely would have netted him at least a 1st rounder during the trade deadline (if he were so inclined) in LeVert. It's like saying "Well the sign said high voltage do not touch but I touched it anyways. I did what I could"
Because of the age and character of the Nets roster, I don't think they are going to be healthy a lot of the year until the playoffs. Right now Harden is carrying them and establishing himself as a leader... but he is leading the league in minutes and will be 32 next year... at some point they will need to limit his minutes somewhat. That also doesn't take into account that I don't believe the Nets will be as worried about regular season record as they are to be healthy for the playoffs. As for Miami, this year they started out terrible and have been digging out of that hole. They also have been without Butler a lot. Also the Heat will have quite a big of cap room to play with. They will be a better team IMO than they have been this year. They also have a grinder coach that will chase wins. Balancing that out is the fact that Oladipo may help the Heat win games this year, and if we don't keep our pick, we get the Miami pick. I never expected much of a return for Oladipo, I am not even really mad... I am glad he is gone.... but we really didn't get anything for him. I hope we buy out the players we got so they can go play for a contender and we can play young players.
I understood the BK part, I was asking more about Mia. I'm not as high on them as you. Their cap space will be gone quickly with VO and Duncan and the FA class isn't that great. Only way I see them being significantly better next year is through a year or VO returning to all star form.
Given the circumstance of choosing to either: 1. Take a risk that LeVert would make a full recovery from his cancer diagnosis 2. Take a risk that LeVert would NOT return to his NBA career thereby providing the Rockets with at least an injury/health exception 3. Take a risk on a player playing on an expiring contract whose made it known he only wants to play in one city and that's not your city I'd say all but one GM would have avoided #3 and would have taken a hard look at #s 1 and 2. Pritchard sure did.
The Rockets got extremely lucky that Kevin Porter Jr. threw a huge temper tantrum because the Cavaliers gave his locker to Taurean Prince. At that point, the Cavs were done with him and were willing to do whatever it took to get him out of their organization. There’s no concrete evidence that the Cavs did the Rockets a solid by trading him to them after they decided it was best to part ways.
I'm way behind on this but this is valid. There is the issue of Dipo making the Heat better this year, which hurts the Rockets, potentially, this year... but i'm more than willing ot risk a pick going from 20 to 25, if it helps in any way potentially keep the pick as a top 4 instead, as losing Dipo might - though hard to say, they sucked with him.
FWIW I was just told that the Rockets were offered #2 picks in deals for Tucker and Oladipo..... but the Rockets were more interested in "playing the lottery" and seeing if the Bucks pick and the Heat swap works out for them.
